The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-11-17
THE EXECUTION.
Remarkable Fortitude of the Men
Their Last Words.

Their Last Words.
The deputies stepped up and bound the
arms of the condemned. Spies came first
into view, then came Fischer, next Engel
and Parsons last They walk steadily and
without support. The four men We're then
placed upon the trap. All were pale. There
was moment of deathlike stiffness. Then
clear and distinct came the voice of Spies
His form Strengthened up. The muslin
seemed to move in harmony with his lips.
'sOur silence is more powerful than
speech he said.
Silence again prevailed for a second. Then,
in a round, full voice, a shout, "Hurrah for
Anarchy" was heard 1t came from Engel
Another pause was broken by the voice of
Fischer "This is the happieSt moment of
my life he said.
Then the clear, well modulated voice of
Parsons broke the oppressive stiffness. There
was rising infection in his voice, not SO
much Of pleading as of demand.
"Let me speak, Sheriff Matson," he said.
''Let the voice of the people be heard" and
Just then the drop fell.
The last words of Parsons died upon his
lips.
ment without tremor The drop fell at l.54.
From the first step of Spies upon the scaffold
until the cutting of the rope precisely six
minutes and three seconds had elapsed.
Every eye was riveted upon the body Of
Spies The arch Anarchist was dying hard :;
his legs and arms moved convulsively, with
extraordinary rapidity. 1t was as though he
was alive and conscious and struggling to free
himself from the cords that bound him. His
whole frame was agtated by a quivering
tremor.
Low groans of horror came from many
lips and the expression, .He's dying hard"
was heard on all sides. This continued for
over a minute, an hour it seemed to be, and
then the struggles grew fainter and fainter
until they finally ceased
The bodies of Engel and Fischer were mo-
tionless for moment after the drop, save
for the swinging to and fro. Then Fischer S
| legs drew up and down, and there was a
| convulsve movement i'll his arms. Engels
| struggles were br eff.
Parsons alone died as though his heart had
| been pierced by a bullet. He came down
[ like log. There was not lureh, not a
single contraction of the muscles. His neck
| had been broken instantly. All three of the
Others slowly strangled to death. AT l2.05
| the physicians pronounced all OF them dead.
When the collins were brought to the scat
| fold Sheriff Matson exclaimed: His will
be done" The bodies were lowered in the
| following order: Spies, Fischer, Engel and
! Parsons. All looked natural The cofli,
| lids were quickly screwed down Paper tags
| were pasted on each for Identification. En-
| gels and Lingg, the suicides, remains were
taken to 2S6 Milwaukee avenue. Fischer S
! wife claimed his, Mrs Spies took AugusOs
and Mrs Parsons received that of her hus-
| band.
| The bodies were embalmed.
During the execution Mrs. Spies, Augnst's
mother. sat at the table at her home, wailing
as ii her heart would break. The lamenta-
tions of the household could be heard across
the street Mrs. Engel keeps little toy and
notion shop on Milwaukee avenue. She was
calm, passionless and pale. There was nc
| excitement there but an ominous calm per-
vaded everything.
Mrs Parsons was in the police station
house. Deputy johnson says that the grief
displayed by Spies family is something ter
rible to contemplate, but that the relatives
| of the other men are not as visibly affected.